(Statewide) – Gov. Mike Braun recently announced the Power Up Indiana initiative to encourage employers to promote internally to boost the state’s workforce and one labor industry expert said potential applicants should think outside the box when pursuing manufacturing jobs in particular.
A 2023 IU Business Research study found a projected increase of 10% in Indiana’s advanced manufacturing sector by 2026, with noticeable growth in transportation equipment, chemicals, and electronic products.
Robert Merritt, founder and CEO of the Indiana-based career resource SlateUp, said manufacturing employers may not always prioritize technical skills, and other attributes are equally important in the hiring process.
“What they’re actually looking for is soft skills,” Merritt explained. “A good attitude, are reliable, if you show up on time, if you have good communication ability. So if a manufacturer sees these traits, these behaviors, these attributes in you, they’re going to be willing to invest in you and then give you an opportunity to again, learn a skill and grow over time.”
High school seniors opting not to attend college may enjoy the long-term career prospects and competitive salaries manufacturing jobs offer, he added. A sophisticated technology-operated workplace has replaced the traditional perception of “the dirty shop floor,” which is also attracting more women into the industry.
Merritt described a “fundamental gap” between the majority of workforce programs and employer needs. He pointed out economic development and workforce development are typically separated, or “siloed from one another.”
“The problem is that the economic development interfaces with the employer community pretty heavily,” Merritt observed. “Workforce development interfaces with the workforce – basically, with the consumers – pretty heavily. And those two don’t overlap.”
He suggested lawmakers get feedback and make sure workforce programs are tied back to the employers in their communities. Indiana’s Workforce Ready Grant program oversees more than 150 qualified offerings for industries including advanced manufacturing, transportation and logistics, and construction.
(Story by our newsgathering partners at Indiana News Service)
